Decoding federal grant travel costs can be a bit confusing. Let’s open the grant management mailbag again today for some common problems encountered in the “real-world” by “real-life” grant managers. Here are three factors affecting actual travel vs. per diem federal travel costs on your grants. A Grant Manager Writes: “We are the Prime Recipient on […]
Compliance Warriors
The Great “Blame Game” Hoax of Concealing Grant Fraud
When it comes to reducing the risk of fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds, grant managers should watch out for the great “blame game” hoax that often accompanies the misappropriation of funds and concealing grant fraud. Committing fraud is deliberate; efforts to conceal that fraud are just as deliberate. The 3 Ingredients in the Grant Fraud Triangle Concealing grant […]
8 Common Grant Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Grant management (especially since the Uniform Guidance happened) is not just about doing everything right-it also can involve steering your organization clear of those common grant mistakes (also known as “nasty situations”) that can lead you astray. Here are eight of our most common-but completely avoidable grant mistakes: Before You Get the Grant: 5 Warning Signs […]
What the IG Report on the FBI and DOJ Can Teach Us About Internal Controls
I spoke at the AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference on “How to Build Trust with Internal Controls.” As I began wading through the 568 pages of the DOJ Inspector General Report on the Actions by the FBI and DOJ (Yes, I am that kind of geek), I was struck by the common role that weak internal controls […]
5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of a Conflict of Interest
In a previous post, we looked at 6 questions you should ask to tell how safe your federal grant is from conflicts of interest. In today’s post, we’ll look at what you can do to reduce the risk of a conflict of interest affecting your organization’s federal funding. Here are 5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of […]
13 Ways to Keep Grant Funds Flowing
Ever wish you had a crystal ball to see how the mind of Uncle Sam looks at grant funds? Think the Uniform Guidance is super complicated? Or maybe you just wish you had a checklist of what gets grant recipients into trouble and how to avoid those “speed bumps”? It may seem a little “geeky,” but […]